Murder probe may delve into dating, sex website records

Tuesday

May 7, 2013 at 3:15 AMMay 7, 2013 at 3:02 PM

DOVER — The probe into the death of Elizabeth Marriott could potentially include requests for data from the prominent online dating site OKCupid, as well as two social networks geared around bondage and other sexual practices.

By JIM HADDADINjhaddadin@fosters.com

DOVER — The probe into the death of Elizabeth Marriott could potentially include requests for data from the prominent online dating site OKCupid, as well as two social networks geared around bondage and other sexual practices.

Homicide investigators say they have probable cause to believe they'll find evidence related to Marriott's murder or the effort to cover it up on the websites.

The suspect, 30-year-old Seth Mazzaglia, of Dover, had profiles on multiple networking sites. On OKCupid.com, he was listed under the username “DarkKaiser.” His profile page indicates Mazzaglia does not drink or take drugs, and lists hobbies such as “gaming” and “watching movies.”

The same user name, DarkKaiser, was also used by a 29-year-old Dover, N.H., man on the website FetLife.com, an online meeting place for bondage and fetish enthusiasts. The profile indicates the user is interested in a “lifetime relationship, a play partner, princess by day, slut by night, a sub.”

In October, Dover police received a tip about Mazzaglia's profile on OKCupid, which contains several color photos, and a description that reads “In a word, Enigmatic.” An investigator searched various networks and found another profile believed to be Mazzaglia's on Bondage.com. The username is “DarkKaiser,” and a heading reads “Master seeking slave.” The user is described as a 29-year-old straight male from New Hampshire.

Friends remember Mazzaglia, an aspiring actor and 2006 UNH theater graduate, as a “nice guy” who was enthusiastic about martial arts and active in local theater.

One mutual friend who was interviewed by police said Mazzaglia and his live-in girlfriend, Kathryn McDonough, were also actively involved in “BDSM,” an acronym that refers to sexual practices such as bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism. The couple's interests included “rope play,” the friend told police.

Mazzaglia allegedly confessed to strangling Marriott with a rope during what he described as a consensual sexual encounter. Marriott's family has attacked that notion, saying it would be “reprehensible” and “salacious” to suggest Marriott agreed to take part in the sex activity at the apartment.

Mazzaglia was indicted in April on three murder charges in connection with Marriott's death. McDonough is accused of witness tampering and conspiring with her boyfriend to deceive police.

Investigators received warrants to search a variety of electronic records. That includes performing forensic searches on numerous computers and laptops owned by Mazzaglia and his girlfriend, as well as a video camera and an X-Box gaming machine seized from his apartment.

In some of the warrants, police assert probable cause to request information from the three dating and social networking websites. In the case of FetLife.com, police lay out probable cause to request information about accounts used by Mazzaglia and McDonough — “Enigmatic Shadow” and “Rouge Temptress” — or any other profiles associated with the pair.

It's unclear whether homicide investigators are actively seeking that information from the websites. Representatives from the sites couldn't immediately be reached for comment Monday. Senior Assistant Attorney Jeffery Strelzin, who is assisting with the case, said professional rules of conduct prevent prosecutors from commenting on potential evidence in a pre-trial case.